


the anchor

by epsiloneridani



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Brotherhood, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, discussion of reconditioning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:35:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24227449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epsiloneridani/pseuds/epsiloneridani
Summary: It starts on Kamino.Rex needs an anchor. Cody's there for him.
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 200





	the anchor

So this is home now.

Jango’s hands press to Rex’s shoulders. “Go on,” Jango says, and nods to the only pod still protruding from the wall; the others are already closed, sealing their occupants inside for the night. “Take your place.”

“Yes, sir,” Rex says quietly, and scales the ladder to settle in. He waves his hand over the sensor. The pod slides shut. His heart twists in his chest and he squeezes his eyes shut. His breath comes in short gasps. When he sleeps, it’s fitful.

When he wakes, he doesn’t remember his dreams.

The other cadets in the command class barely give him a second glance when he falls in line with them to march to breakfast. Maybe Jango mentioned that a new cadet would be joining them. Maybe he didn’t, and they just don’t care. They’re six, which makes them older than Rex by almost a chronological year and puts them nearly two ahead of him biologically. It’s not much, but it’s enough.

That’s all too clear the second he steps onto a mat with one of them.

Blitz lives up to his name: he’s all speed and lithe strength, driving a blow into Rex’s ribcage and dragging him into a chokehold before Rex can even think to respond. His head is fuzzy; his vision is unfocused: Blitz is a blur. He wants to bring his hands up to pry at the arm Blitz had locked across his throat but every muscle in his frame is trembling and he’s trapped and he can’t breathe.

“ _Kyr ge’kaan_ ,” Jango calls, _endex_ , and Blitz lets go. Rex finds himself sprawled on the ground, staring up into the seething Kamino white.

“Rex,” Jango says shortly. “Up.”

The room is spinning. Rex coughs and rubs at his throat, rolling onto his side and clawing at the mat. His fingers find no purchase. Past the ringing in his ears, he’s sure he can hear his nails scarring deep lines into the fibers.

“Rex. Get up.”

He opens his mouth to say _yes, sir_. Nothing comes out. He tells his arm to lift. It doesn’t even shift. His throat is tight. It must be from the chokehold.

“Kote.”

One of the cadets snaps forward, and then Rex’s arm is around the boy’s shoulders and he’s being all but carried from the training room. “I’m Cody,” the cadet says, and that’s all.

Cody doesn’t slow down or stop until they make it back to the sleeping chamber. Only once the door slides shut does he lower Rex to the ground.

Rex’s head is pounding.

“Take it easy,” Cody says. Rex wraps his arms around himself.

He can’t stop shaking.

“What’s wrong with me?” he blurts. His voice is hoarse. “I don’t feel right.”

Cody kneels down in front of him. His eyes are cool and determined. “This is your first day with us,” he says, “but what do you remember about who you were with before?”

“You mean my batch?”

Cody nods.

Rex scrunches his face up and strains to remember. Cool white. A pod just like the one he slept in last night. Blurry faces. He doesn’t know their names; they’re on the tip of his tongue, just out of his reach.

“I don’t know,” Rex says at last, and winces. “I’m sorry.”

Cody’s face softens. “It’s okay,” he says. “Jango said you probably wouldn’t.”

“What does that mean?” Rex demands. “Where are my brothers?”

Cody hesitates.

Everyone has batch brothers. Rex should know his like he knows the back of his own hand. He tries, though, and all he can see is that suffocating white. It’s a haze: he doesn’t know who his brothers are; he doesn’t know anything that happened before today. He remembers waking up in the medbay with a murderous headache and seeing Jango standing over him and then Jango saying _Good. You’re awake_.

And that’s all.

Panic wells in his chest; it burns like acid. “Where are my brothers?” Rex repeats desperately, and grabs fistfuls of Cody’s shirt. His arms are trembling. “Where are my brothers?”

Cody takes a measured breath, then carefully wraps his hands around Rex’s wrists. His thumbs brush at the pulse points, soft soothing. “Rex,” he says. “I need you to listen to me.”

Rex’s lower lip is trembling. It hurts to breathe. He manages a nod.

“Your brothers,” Cody says. “They’re gone. That’s why you’re with us.”

“How?”

“What?”

“I want to know what happened,” Rex chokes. Tears burn at the edges of his vision; he blinks past them. “Where are they?”

“You don’t need to—”

“Tell me what happened to them!”

Cody’s silent for a long moment.

“You and your batch of ARCs,” Cody says slowly. “You weren’t meeting obedience standards. They sent you to be reconditioned.”

Rex blinks furiously.

That soothing touch is back, so gentle on Rex’s wrists. “The others didn’t make it,” Cody says. “You did. Nala Se wanted to send you to a lab somewhere but Jango fought to keep you here with us.”

“They’re all gone?” Rex croaks.

Cody nods gravely.

The tears spill over. Rex pitches forward with a strangled sob. Cody pulls him to his chest and holds him close. “It’s okay,” Cody murmurs and lets him cry. “I’ve got you. Promise.”

For a long time, Rex doesn’t move.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, when he’s run out of tears. He swipes at his face and takes a shuddery breath. “Sorry.”

Cody ruffles his hair. “Nothing to be sorry for, _vod’ika_ ,” he says. His mouth curves into a small smile. It doesn’t really reach his eyes. “It’s okay.”

Nothing feels okay.

Cody gives him a few moments more to collect himself, then pulls him to his feet and leads him back to the others. No one asks where they’ve been. Jango just settles a hand on Rex’s shoulder and says, “Welcome to the command class.”

The day passes in a blur.

When it’s time to sleep, Rex doesn’t.

“Hey, Rex.”

Rex jolts. Cody’s dangling over the edge of his own pod, just above Rex’s. He waves, then slides nimbly down the ladder and swings over to sit beside Rex. He doesn’t say anything; he just rests a hand on Rex’s back.

“They’re all gone,” Rex says numbly. “My brothers.”

“Hey,” Cody calls softly. Rex glances at him. His eyes are a warm brown. “You’ve still got me.”

Rex tries to for a smile. He’s sure it’s lopsided.

“You’re always gonna have me,” Cody says, and pulls him closer. Rex rests his cheek on his shoulder. “I promise.”

* * *

Anaxes tests that promise.

Cody wheezes with every breath. His arms are wrapped around his chest. Every time he coughs, his face contorts. Rex wants to take his hand and squeeze it and say _you’re gonna be okay, I promise, you’re gonna be okay_ – wants to be the anchor for Cody that Cody’s always been for him.

It doesn’t work out that way.

The Bad Batch punches through the droids, but there are sure to be more on the horizon and the fate of the planet is on the line and Echo might be alive.

But Cody might be dying.

As soon as they’ve settled into camp, Rex is at his side.

Cody’s face is twisted in pain. “Hey,” Rex says softly, and crouches beside him. Cody tries to give him a nod. It’s more of a weak wobble.

“Rex,” he manages through grit teeth. He chokes a gasp. “‘m okay.”

The words catch in his throat. Cody heaves a rattling cough that brings a wet sheen to his eyes. He tries to double over, but he can’t get the leverage. Rex presses one hand to his back and one to his chest to steady him through it.

“Hang in there, Cody,” Rex says, like a plea. He finds Cody’s hand and squeezes it tight. _Stay with me. Stay alive._

For just a beat, Cody squeezes back.

\--


End file.
